


our kisses head back home

by stationlittle



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-07
Updated: 2016-10-07
Packaged: 2018-08-20 02:03:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8232223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stationlittle/pseuds/stationlittle
Summary: James woke up early to make this breakfast.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Mass Effect Poly Week.  
> Prompt was "anything domestic", requested by symbolicanus on Tumblr.  
> A HUGE THANK YOU to bardofheartdive on Tumblr for betareading!  
> Title from the poem "Love, We're Going Home Now" by Pablo Neruda.

There was nothing delicate about the way James cut onions. It was rough, but precise. He knew what he was doing. He barely made any noise as the knife hit the cutting board. He was not likely to cry from cutting the onions either, too used to the task.

Shepard and Kaidan were asleep at this hour, which meant he was alone in the kitchen.

Why he was cutting onions at 7AM... Well. Shepard mentioned last night that he really missed a specific breakfast he used to eat on one of the Alliance vessels he served on. James had listened but already he formed the idea in his head.

So that morning, he woke up early, went to the Wards, and bought all the ingredients he needed to make that breakfast Shepard liked so much.

The pan was empty. He added bacon and sausages. After careful consideration, he dropped in one egg and different types of pepper (jalapeño, chiles and some orange bell peppers) **.**

"What are you doing?"

He jumped and turned around, the pan in his hand. Kaidan just stared at him. He was wearing the casual clothes he wore last night, a dark sweater with jeans.

"Jeez, you scared me. Can't warn a guy, here?" James said.

Kaidan looked amused. "That smells delicious," he commented.

"Yeah. It's going to be great, _hermoso_."

"Wait a second-"

He moved to stand beside James, his gaze focused on the ingredients in the pan.

"Is that what I think it is?"

James blushed.

"Time to add the onions," he said.

He made a big show of adding them, but he knew nothing could distract Kaidan when he had something in mind.

"James."

"What? I'm busy cooking here!"

"James, seriously."

He sighed and put the pan back on. Lowered the temperature. Turned around.

"What?" he finally said.

"You're always doing this," Kaidan replied. "Every time one of us mentions something... Remember when I said I couldn't find that book about the history of the Alliance? You moved mountains to find it."

He shrugged. "It was important to you."

And it was. At the time Kaidan wanted to know if the book mentioned Jump Zero, but it was near impossible to find. It had been published years ago, and the Alliance had done everything to bury it, including printed versions.

So James had called someone he knew, who then called someone they knew... And one day James ended up with the book on his lap. He had given it to Kaidan without fuss. Why it was a problem now, he didn't know.

"It was important," Kaidan said. "But that's not what I meant. Look, Shepard mentioned some breakfast he liked, and here you are cooking it."

James was starting to hate this entire conversation. He felt like his cheeks were burning.

"What's your point?"

"My point," Kaidan said. "Is that you don't have to do all this. We'll still love you no matter what you do."

A pause. He stared at Kaidan. He wasn't sure if he understood the words he had just said.

As if Kaidan read his mind, he repeated it. His voice gentle and a fondness in his eyes.

"We'll still love you no matter what you do."

James stared. Some part of him wanted to say "I know" or "I believe you" but he couldn't talk. He felt frozen.

"Your breakfast is burning," Kaidan said after a few seconds.

"What?!" he cried out.

He turned his attention back to the pan, ready to put it away when he realized it wasn't burning. Just cooking slowly.

Kaidan grinned, pleased to have fooled him.

James couldn't help it, he grinned back. This, this is what made him like Kaidan so much. He could go from serious to mischievous in a second, only few people were aware of it. It was something precious, not meant for anyone. He felt proud, a bit privileged too.

Of course, that's when Shepard appeared, his hair a complete mess and still not dressed.

"I recognize that smell," he said as he came into the kitchen.

Kaidan gave him a kiss, Shepard kissed back, but he was glancing at the pan the entire time. James could see he had connected the dots already.

"James," he said. "James."

"I know, Loco. I know."

"You didn't have to do all this!"

"I know. But I did it, anyway. Come on, let's have breakfast!"

The kiss he received felt different this time. It felt like something that could happen anytime, anywhere, just because.


End file.
